Happy 15th Birthday, Aidan!!

Seeing our children grow in godly maturity is one of the greatest blessings that God provides to us on this earth! Birthdays are a great time to reflect on the growth that we see in our children and offer praise to the Lord for that growth.

Happy Birthday, Aidan! We are so grateful to see you growing and maturing in godliness. We see that you are becoming increasingly responsible and other-centered. The future is full of great hope knowing that God has a plan and a purpose that He is working to accomplish - including using you in good works that He has prepared for you in advance (Ephesians 2:10).

Aidan, we are blessed to celebrate your birthday, which is a celebration of your life and God's grace working in and through you. Our prayer for you is that you will continue to grow, learn, and mature into the man that God has called you to be. We are committed to helping you in that process by discipling you along the way and by helping you develop godly character.

Aidan, we love you very much and are filled with gratitude that God has allowed us the privilege of being your parents. We will always strive to show our love for you and seek what is best for you. We will pray for God's blessing on you and that with that blessing you will be fruitful and productive for His kingdom work.

Happy 15th Birthday, Aidan!

Celebrating Jordan's Faithful Sonship and Manhood! (Part 5 - Final)

This is the final part of the letter celebrating Jordan's entrance into manhood, concluding with the last gift categories that we selected and our excitement and commitment as his parents to helping him in his future! It was indeed a very special and very blessed evening together as a family and one that we pray will be etched into Jordan's mind giving him joyful inspiration for the coming days, weeks, months, and years.

• Forging Your Character – In this special category will be resources that will be helpful in the development of godly character in your life. The gifts that are a part of this category will be books, teaching videos, and audio resources that will be challenging your thinking to build the foundation of your life on God’s perfect and inerrant Word. These resources will help you take every thought captive to the lordship of Christ and will serve as a starting point for your family library so that you can pass on the knowledge and wisdom that you gain to your own children.

• Planning for Your Future Family – The future is filled with great hope because we serve a God who is the giver of that hope. One of the greatest gifts that God provides on this earth is the gift of family. Our hearts are continually filled with gratitude that God has allowed us to raise you in accordance with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. We are praying for your future family—that you will be blessed with a beloved help-meet who will be unified with you in purpose and that you will be blessed with the treasure of children. The Bible teaches that a good wife is worth far above rubies and that children are a heritage, a gift, and a blessing. The gifts in this category will be targeted toward helping you in your role as a husband and father, as well as blessing those that will become a part of your future household.

• Blessing Your Faithfulness – A faithful, covenant keeping child will be blessed by the Lord in many ways. As you are obedient to God’s commands, you will know His favor. This does not necessarily mean that you will be given an easy road to travel or that everything will always follow the course that you desire. However, you can always maintain the perspective that God will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Being a child of His, you are included in that promise! We pray that these gifts will be a great treasure, will be a continual reminder of the blessing that results from faithfulness, and will give you a tangible reminder to share with the next generation of the favor that you receive from living a life that is dedicated to the principles of the Bible.

We love you very much, Jordan! We are grateful that God has allowed us to be your parents, we rejoice in you entering into manhood, and we are very excited to be helping you plan and prepare for the future! May you live by the verse that we have chosen to be etched onto the plaque for the special Captain’s Trunk that we joyfully selected for this very special and memorable occasion:

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

(Proverbs 24:3-4, NIV)

Pursue wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in the fear of the Lord and you, as well as your household, will be blessed!

Love Always,

Dad and Mom

Celebrating Jordan's Faithful Sonship and Manhood! (Part 4)

After the challenges that we gave to Jordan, we provided him with special gifts all carefully selected for their significance and their fulfillment of specific categories that we had decided would be important for Jordan's future. This post contains a part of those gifts.

With this celebration, we have selected many special gifts for you—gifts that will aid you in preparing for and establishing your own household. This celebration is more than a single, one-time event since we plan to give you additional presents in the coming years in the particular categories that we will outline today—provided that you will be a faithful, covenant-keeping son. It is not the intent that each year will have a representative from each category—but that every year there will be a significant addition to one or more of these groups. Each of the areas that these classes represent will play a very important role in you being a godly, righteous, and holy man. Here are the categories that we have selected for helping you in establishing your future household:

• Saving for Your Future – To start and maintain a household, you will need financial resources. Let us remind you that everything that you have is a gift from God, that He is Jehovah Jirah providing for our every need, and that our future is in His hands. Do not allow the savings for the future become your security. At the same time, it is important to be planning for the days that are to come, which will include monetary savings. Your role as the provider for those whom the Lord will graciously give to you is a great privilege and responsibility. To help you, we will be providing you with financial gifts that are intended to serve as an assistance in your saving for the future—for both yourself and for your own family.

• Building Your Home –A home is a big investment in terms of the finances required and the time that is needed for its upkeep. The home should be a place of industry, education, hospitality, and ministry to others. In order to establish and sustain housing for yourself and your family, you will need to have tools. These tools include construction tools, as well as aids that will be used in caring for and maintaining the dwelling for which you will be primarily responsible.

• Remembering Your Heritage – Everyone has a heritage and it is our prayer that you will have a godly legacy on which to build for your future and the future of your family. Our heritage is filled with the work and the providence of Almighty God and this category will be reminding you of the family history that is a part of your past. May you be filled with gratitude as you reflect on your heritage and may the gifts that are in this category serve as reminders to you of how you are an heir to the past, as well as the importance of passing on the legacy of faithfulness to the generations that are yet to be born.

Celebrating Jordan's Faithful Sonship and Manhood! (Part 3)

After the introduction that was posted in part 2, the letter went on to give Jordan a set of challenges for his life. Here is the list of those challenges, which are intended to encourage and inspire Jordan now and in the future:

While the future is one that is filled with hope and promise, it is also filled with much work and will require a persevering spirit in order to succeed. To assist you in your journey we have the following challenges for you to strive to master in the upcoming months and years:

First, seek the Lord, His wisdom, and His righteousness above all else. God should be the foundation of everything in life and each of us should pursue our relationship with Him as our first and irreplaceable priority. It is by the fear of the Lord that we can grow in knowledge and in wisdom. God desires that we focus our lives on His kingdom and not wear ourselves out in the pursuit of the temporal things of this world.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33, KJV)

Second, develop the fruit of the Spirit, which should be manifested in all that you say, do, and think. We want you to dedicate yourself to living a life that demonstrates this fruit and may you keep in the forefront of your mind the verses of Galatians 5:22-23 that outline these vital characteristics:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

Third, seek to place others before yourself. Pride and selfishness are a sinful disease that spreads and causes many problems in life. God specifically gives us the following warning in regard to pride:

God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6, KJV)

On the subject of selfishness, God has very direct and specific counsel:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

How much better it is to be resting in God’s grace by following His perfect direction than struggling against His opposition by self-centered and self-seeking pursuits.

Fourth, seek to be generous and not greedy. Greed is another pitfall that besets many a man and the older you are prior to getting rid of this unhealthy and ungodly attitude the more difficult it becomes. The Bible has great wisdom on this subject, as it does on every matter pertaining to life since we know that God’s Word is an all-sufficient guide for every area of how we are to live. It states:

He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. (Proverbs 15:27, KJV)

Fifth, seek to have a gentle and sensitive disposition, eliminating all bitterness, rage, and anger. In order to achieve victory in this area, you must not only win the battle of the outward actions being free from anger, but you must also triumph in the war that is in the mind over the very spirit of anger. You must be willing to live in accordance with the exhortation that we receive from Scripture:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 5:31-32, KJV)

In order to meet these challenges, you need not, and in fact you best not, attempt to do so alone. You have God’s Word as the ultimate standard by which to live, the Holy Spirit to lead you into all manner of godliness, and loving parents who are seeking to prepare you for your life journey.

Celebrating Jordan's Faithful Sonship and Manhood! (Part 2)

Here is the beginning portion of the letter that I (David) wrote on that very special occasion where we celebrated Jordan's faithful sonship and entrance into manhood.

Jordan,

This letter is being written out of a heart of love for you on a special celebration of commissioning you into manhood! You have a very exciting future ahead of you and as your parents, we look forward to helping you grow and develop into the man that God wants you to be. We are very honored and privileged to be serving as your guides and we pray that you will always be able to look back on your years of growing up in this family with great fondness and affection. We pray that the foundation that is being laid now will provide a firm base that is centered on living a life honoring to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is our sincere hope that you will be taking dominion for the glory of God in whatever specific areas that He will call you and that there will be many future generations that will continue to build on and further your dominion work.

Birthday Blessings, My Beloved Bride!

Birthdays are a special time to remember and honor the one that is celebrating another year of God's faithfulness, grace, and mercy!

This year I (David) am providing this birthday post to my dearly beloved bride by petitioning the Lord for His blessings on her behalf. God is love and the giver of good gifts to His children.

Jill,

Happy Birthday, my dear and precious help meet! I love you, sweetheart! Here are the specific requests for which I am asking of our gracious and loving Heavenly Father for you!

Fruitfulness - O Lord, please provide to my dear sweetheart a life that is characterized by great fruitfulness. May You grant to Jill a fruitful womb that will continue to bear children for your honor and glory. Give to Jill fruitful hands that will be effective in her service to You as we seek as a family to take dominion for Your Name!

Joy - Heavenly Father, graciously provide my Jill with a joyful, fulfilled heart that will be delighting in her role as my wife and mother to the children with which Your hand has blessed our family.

Contentment - Dear God, please grant my dear bride a contented life that will accept and welcome every situation in which you place her. Lord, give her this blessing and enable her to be able to say “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11, KJV).

Wisdom - Lord, please give Jill Your wisdom and allow her to speak this wisdom wherever she is, whomever she is around, and whatever the circumstance. Give Jill a growing desire to pursue wisdom with great fervor. Allow Jill to be filled with this wisdom and may she influence others with it for Your honor and glory.

Peace - Heavenly Father, please provide to Jill the peace that passes all understanding based on Your perfect character. Enable her to be able to show this peace as a means of testifying of You and the difference that You make.

Hope - Our gracious Lord, please give Jill great hope for each tomorrow knowing that You have an important work for her to do in the ministry of this family and her role in the body of Christ. Help Jill to be spurred on by the plans that You have for her and enable her to share this hope with those around her.

Jill, you are so precious and dear to me and I am grateful to be your husband and your earthly head. I pray that I will be able to bless you with godly leadership and provide you with a love that will be a good model of Christ’s love for the Church. I love you, Jill! Happy Birthday, my beloved!

Celebrating Jordan's Faithful Sonship and Manhood! (Part 1)

The beginning of manhood is one that is marked by becoming a faithful son. It includes a willingness to take responsibility, to be consistent and diligent in work, and to demonstrate mature decision-making. While there is not an absolute transition point whereby one day a boy suddenly becomes a man, the start of manhood is an occasion worthy of celebration. I submit that you will bless and inspire your son by having a time set aside to rejoice and celebrate his manhood at whatever stage you see the characteristics of manliness as outlined in God's Word developing in him by the grace of God.

In February 2009, we celebrated Jordan Jachim's entrance into manhood at age 14 by going out for a celebration dinner at Jordan's favorite restaurant (Macaroni Grill), followed by a very special time of showering him with significant and meaningful gifts starting with a beautiful and very well constructed captain's trunk made from rich walnut wood.

(This trunk was ordered from www.woodnu.com, where you will find a very fine selection of trunks, hope chests, and more.)

Inside the trunk was a very striking brass plaque, which was inscribed with Proverbs 24:3-4:

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Strange Food!

I've been collecting these photos of interesting food we have had. It is amazing how strangely things can grow sometimes!

EGGS

We have all probably seen double yolk eggs, as I have, but I had two of them in one carton! They looked so cool while they were cooking! Of course, I HAD to break the yolks on the other two eggs. :-p Bummer!

BANANA

This banana was really fat before opening it. I did not give it much thought other than "it's such a fat banana". However, when I peeled it, lo and behold, it was a double banana in one peel! I have NEVER seen or heard of this!

Do you know the trick to separate a banana into 3 equal strips by squeezing it gently? Squeeze it all around, and the three sections will naturally come apart! I did that with this double banana, and it separated into 6 sections! (The photo shows only 5 because I actually had 2 of them stuck together; when I pressed it further, that one separated into 2 for a total of 6 sections).

CUCUMBER

Here's another one: a double cucumber!! This one is from David's mom and dad's garden!

Pretty fun, is it not? Okay, so we are easily amused around here! God's creation is amazing--whether from its complexities or even its eccentricities!

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 23

For our history display, we created a flat board with paper soldiers to represent Pickett's Charge on Day 3 of the battle of Gettysburg. However, even Pickett's Charge would be too large, so we focused on General Armistead's division breaching Union lines and being forced back by General Webb and his division. 10 different regiments (5 Union and 5 Confederate) were represented on the board, each reduced by a factor of 10; thus, the 69th had 320 men at Gettysburg, etc.:

• 69th Pennsylvania: Strength: 32, Regiment Type: Irish. The 69th held the Confederates at bay in its sector of the line
• 71st Pennsylvania: Strength: 33, Regiment Type: Regular. Most of the 71st ran for it when the Confederates arrived
• 72nd Pennsylvania: Strength: 45, Regiment Type: Zouave. The 72nd held the line until New York reinforcements came up
• 106th Pennsylvania: Strength: 33, Regiment Type: Regular. "You can withdraw your batteries when that regiment [106th] runs away" General Howard to Major Osborn
• 4th U.S. Artillery, Battery A: Strength: 8, Regiment Type: Artillery. Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing commanded Battery A. He was killed during Pickett's Charge.

• 9th Virginia: Strength: 32, Regiment Type: Regular. Only two officers and 37 men of the 9th surrendered at Appomattox
• 14th Virginia: Strength: 42, Regiment Type: Regular. The 14th was recruited in May 1861, making it the oldest regiment in Armistead's Brigade
• 38th Virginia: Strength: 40, Regiment Type: Regular. The 38th's colonel was named Powhatan Whittle
• 53rd Virginia: Strength: 44, Regiment Type: Regular. The 53rd was formed in December 1861, making it the newest regiment in Armistead's Brigade
• 57th Virginia: Strength: 48, Regiment Type: Regular. The 57th was General Armistead's own regiment

Happy 10th Birthday, Amara!!

Today, Amara Grace Jachim turns 10 years old! What a blessing it is to be able to celebrate the birthday of this dear daughter and to think back on the birth of this precious girl. She was born at 1:08 A.M. and from the time that she was born (her birth weight was 9 lb and 9 oz) she has seemed older than her age. It is our desire that she will be mature in godliness and holiness beyond her years all through her life!

Amara, we are so grateful to the Lord for His creation of your life and we are very blessed to have you as a part of this family! As you continue to grow, our prayer for you is that you will become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ - putting on His character by seeking to live in a manner consistent with His nature as revealed in His Word! We humbly ask our loving Heavenly Father that He will give to you great wisdom and a very joyful future that will include becoming a help-meet to a godly husband, as well as a mother to many faithful, covenant-keeping children.

We are committed to training you for the honor and glory of God! Toward that end, we will be diligently providing you with instruction from God's Word and giving you resources that will be an aid to you in growing in knowledge of Holy Scripture. It is with this in mind that included in your presents this year, we are gladly granting your request for a new Bible and special marking pencil. You can use these new tools to gain understanding of what God teaches in His Word, as well as how you can apply what you learn in your life now and in the future. Remember that it is only through the discipline of studying Scripture that you can know all that you are to do in order to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord!

Happy Birthday, my dear daughter! May you have many special memories of this birthday and each of your birthdays as a part of this household! You are very special and we love you very much!

Happy Second Birthday, Tirzah!!

Today, Tirzah Mercy Jachim turns two years old! It has been a great joy and delight to see her grow, learn, and develop over these past two years. She has a very determined and exuberant personality that has added so much to our whole family! We praise the Lord for her life and we look forward to the future with great hope knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for this precious little girl!

Tirzah, I am so blessed to have you as my daughter and I count it a great privilege to be raising you for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! My prayer for you is that you will be a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords - not only saved from your sin, but living day by day for the purpose of furthering His kingdom! I am committed to training you in the ways that are outlined in Scripture and also to give you a personal example of what it means to live a godly, upright, righteous, and holy life!

Happy Birthday, Tirzah! You are a very special reminder to our whole family of the mercy of God as He gave us you as an answer to our crying out to Him for the blessing of more children! The Bible teaches us that "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Psalm 127:3, KJV) What a treasure you are to us and what a joy it is to have you as a part of this household! We have many special memories of your life already and look to the days to come with excitement and anticipation as you grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus!

We love you, dearly, Tirzah! Happy birthday, our precious and special gift from a loving Heavenly Father!

Happy 17th Birthday, Jordan!!

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9, KJV)

Happy Birthday, Jordan!

It was 17 years ago today that the Lord blessed us with the birth of our first child, Jordan Christopher Jachim! What a tremendous privilege and responsibility God has given us in training Jordan according to God's Holy Word! The journey thus far has been a road filled with many precious memories as we have seen Jordan grow from the precious and highly dependent stage of infancy to the strength of godly manhood.

Reflecting back on the day of Jordan's birth, our hearts are filled with joy! Contemplating the last 17 years along with the physical, intellectual, and spiritual growth that we have seen in this young man, our hearts are filled with gratitude! As we look to the future for the Lord's direction for Jordan's dominion work, our hearts are filled with excitement and hope!

Jordan, I am so grateful to be your father and I pray that I will effectively lead you according to the perfect law of God! My prayer for you is that you will be a man of holiness, righteousness, and godliness! As you seek to live according to the way that the Lord has ordained for you, may you be diligent in fulfilling the good works that God has prepared for you, joyful as you live a life that is dedicated to the King of kings, and fruitful in impacting this world for the advancement of Christ's kingdom!

Happy 17th Birthday, my son!

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 22

The Paper Soldiers

What’s the display? On Day 3 of Gettysburg, General Lee ordered General Pickett’s division to charge the Union lines. One of Pickett’s subordinates, General Armistead and his men broke through, but they were overwhelmed and wiped out by Colonel Webb’s Philadelphia Brigade. The board depicts Armistead at the farthest point through the Union lines, known as the “High-water mark of the Confederacy”.

• How many paper soldiers are there? 361 men

Union: “Webb’s Philadelphia Brigade”--Total: 153

Confederate: “Armistead’s Brigade”--Total: 208

• Who’s in charge on the board? General Lewis A. Armistead and Colonel Alexander S. Webb
• What’s that clump of trees? Historians call it the “Clump of Trees”. General Lee used that to direct Pickett’s division to the charge.

• Why is only one cannon firing? Lieutenant Cushing was out of ammunition.

The soldiers on the display are reduced 1/10 from their strength at Gettysburg; hence the 69^th Pennsylvania had 324 men, and so on.

Credits:

Paper soldiers found on www.juniorgeneral.org

Designers: Nicolas Schneier, Ungern, Daniel Harper, Clive, Old Tyke, Jarrett Voight, John Gypson, Russell McCreight, and Michael Krein.

Numbers at Gettysburg: Jenny Goellnitz at www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

General Armistead led his brigade at Gettysburg with his hat on his sword

(soldier by W. Britains www.wbritains.com)

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 21

Battle of Gettysburg Fast Facts

• General in Charge: Union--George C. Meade (left); Confederate--Robert E. Lee (right).
  
  
• How many soldiers were at Gettysburg? 88,000 Union, 73,000 Confederate (rough numbers)
• Where was it fought? Near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• How long did the battle last? 3 days, July 1, 2, and 3, 1863.
• Who won? Day 1--draw: Day 2--Confederate: Day 3--Union, and Lee falls back to Virginia
• Why is it important? Gettysburg was General Lee’s last invasion of the North. From then on, all battles were fought on Confederate soil.

Soldiers by W. Britains (www.wbritain.com)

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 20

This is a short chronology of battles, events, etc. of the American Civil War.

Confederate victories denoted by gray; Union victories by blue. Draws are orange.

1860 December 20 South Carolina secedes from United States

1861 April 12-13 Fort Sumter, SC (begins Civil War)

1861 July 26 First Bull Run, VA (First major battle, Federals crushed)

1862 March 9 Hampton Roads VA, Draw (U.S.S. Monitor vs. C.S.S Virginia)

1862 June 25-July 1 Seven Days’ Battles, VA (McClellan retreats north, abandons campaign to capture Richmond)

1862 April 6-7 Shiloh, TN, (Confederates fail to block union of two Federal armies)

1862 August 28-30 Second Bull Run, VA (Lee crushes Pope’s army, rolls McClellan toward Washington D.C.)

1862 September 17 Antietam MD, Draw (McClellan defeated, but stops Lee’s invasion of North)

1862 December 11-15 Fredericksburg, VA (Burnside’s rush on Richmond halted)

1863 May 3 Chancellorsville, VA (Lee crushes Hooker, but Stonewall Jackson killed)

1863 May 14-July 4 Vicksburg, MS (Confederate fortress on Mississippi River captured)

1863 July 1-3 Gettysburg, PA (Lee’s second invasion of North stopped)

1863 September 19-20 Chickamauga, TN (Confederate victory, but Chattanooga still in Union hands)

1864 May 5-7 Wilderness, VA, Draw (Grant’s invasion of Virginia continues)

1864 May 8-21 Spotsylvania Court House, VA, Draw (Grant’s invasion of Virginia continues)

1864 November 15-December 21, Sherman’s March to the Sea, GA (Sherman fights and burns from Atlanta to Savannah)

1865 March 29-April 9, Appomattox Campaign, VA (Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia surrenders to General U.S. Grant)

1865 April 26 Johnston surrenders, NC (Confederate General Johnston of the Army of Tennessee surrenders to General Grant and Sherman)

1865 May 5 Confederate Government dissolved, VA (President Davis declares government dissolved and flees)

1865 May 10 Jefferson Davis captured, VA (4th Michigan Cavalry captures Confederate President)

1865 May 26 Kirby Smith surrenders, LA (General Smith surrenders last major Confederate army)

1865 June 23 Stand Watie surrenders, OK (General Watie surrenders last Confederate force under arms)

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 19

Heroes in Blue

When General Lee surrendered at Appomattox, General Ulysses S. Grant allowed the Confederates to keep their horses for spring plowing. He also sent rations to feed Lee’s army.

Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain accepted the surrender of General John B. Gordon’s troops at Appomattox. As the former enemy soldiers came to surrender, Chamberlain ordered his men to salute. Gordon returned the salute. Gordon later called Chamberlain, “one of the knightliest soldiers in the Federal Army.”

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 18

Heroes in Gray

“I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation.”

- Robert E. Lee

On August 29, 1862, during the Second Battle at Bull Run (known as Second Manassas by the South), the Confederates held their position at Stony Ridge despite six tremendous Union assaults. That night a friend told Jackson (who was leading the troops), “We have won this battle by the hardest kind of fighting.” Jackson replied, “No, no, we have won it by the blessing of Almighty God !”

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 17

What Lessons Can We Learn from the Civil War for Today? (Part 2)

• There is no distinction between secular and sacred work, but all is sacred - From the lives of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, we learn that the application of Christian principles can be brought to every lawful work performed by man. The idea that only religious work is sacred unto the Lord is foreign to the text of Scripture which teaches that “...whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23, KJV)
• The virtues of honor and respect can be maintained toward enemies - From the acceptance of the surrender by Brigadier General Joshua Chamberlain and the provisions given by General Grant to the South after the completion of the war, we see examples of the Christian character of treating others honorably and with respect.
• The importance of understanding the times - With the Civil War providing for a stronger centralized federal government and the decline into socialism within the United States ever since, we are taught that we must understand the times so that we as Christians can respond rightly and biblically in our day. This understanding is based not only on current events, but also on the unchanging and perfect Law of God.
• A gratitude for the Providence of God - The Lord God Almighty is in control of all things and is working things out for His honor and glory. In the Civil War we see elements of God’s love, grace, and mercy as shown through a spiritual awakening and hunger within the camps, as well as God’s judgment and justice for the Church compromises and national sins. May these lessons cause us to say “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11)

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 16

What Lessons Can We Learn from the Civil War for Today? (Part 1)

As we look at the people and the events of the Civil War, there is much we can learn that we can apply today. Consider the following lessons:

• The Bible is the foundation for all of life - From the theological compromises of the Church, we can see the necessity of being firmly grounded in God’s Holy Word. Compromise within the church affects the body of Christ and the nation as a whole.
• The importance of unity within the body of Christ - From the splits within the Church, we learn about the significance of unity. While unity should never be maintained at the expense of the truth of Holy Scripture, those within the Church should be fighting together to advance the kingdom of the Lord.
• The significance of studying history from primary sources - From the distortion of the truth about the reasons popularly given for the Civil War, we should be inspired to look to primary source material (records written by people actually involved in the events). As you study and understand the events in history, you will be able to discern errors being espoused and not be led by those teaching those errors.
• An appreciation for God’s sovereign grace - From the inspiring testimonies of salvation that occurred during the Civil War, we should stand in awe of the Lord for how He can use many different, difficult, and trying situations to build His Kingdom.

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 15

How Do We See God’s Providential Hand of Blessing After the Civil War?

Just as we see in the Word of God, the judgment of the Lord on nations is tempered with the blessings of God on His people for the sake of His Name, so we see that God tempered His judgment on our country with His divine blessing. The result of maintaining a unified nation rather than two separate nations has provided numerous benefits for all those residing within the United States of America, including the following:

• A stronger military power to aid in the upcoming World War I and World War II conflicts.
• A stronger economic power fueled by an increase in the sharing and development of technology in the country without the need to export to a foreign nation.
• A stronger political power providing the country with a greater international influence due to their military and economic strength.

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 14

How Do We See God’s Providential Hand of judgment After the Civil War?

But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (Psalm 75:7, KJV)

• With the Union victory in the Civil War, we see God’s judgment on the nation through a stronger central government that was established. This centralization of power has served to propel the United States along the course of socialism, which we have seen rising in this country ever since the end of the Civil War. Property rights and religious liberty (particularly for Christians) have markedly decreased, while unbiblical social programs and new federal departments have drastically increased. This socialist agenda has served to further establish the governmental tyranny over the people. As an example of the socialism of this country brought about by the Civil War, consider the following:

• Prior to the War Between the States, people would use the phrase “The United States are ...” which demonstrates a recognition that the individual states were the source of the majority of the power and that these states voluntarily federated together to form a union.
• After the War Between the States, people would use the phrase “The United States is ...” which shows that the strength was primarily concentrated in the federal government and that the states were being held together via that centralized power.

Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 13

How Do We See God’s Providential Hand in the Midst of the Civil War?

• God’s salvation comes to the President of the United States "When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son — the severest trial of my life — I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.” (Abraham Lincoln)
• God builds His army from the soldiers in North and South “The best estimates of conversions in the Union forces place the figure between 100,000 and 200,000 men - about 5-10 percent of all individuals engaged in the conflict. In the smaller Confederate armies, at least 100,000 were converted.” (taken from Dr. Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr., author of A Shield and Hiding Place: The Religious Life of the Civil War Armies)
• God brings the “Great Revival” to forces of Robert E. Lee From fall 1863 through the winter of 1864, a spiritual awakening took place in the Confederate camp that was headed by General Lee with an estimated 7,000 soldier conversions.
• God sparks a spiritual hunger in the Union camp There were times on the Union side that preaching and praying continued all day and night. Chapels were insufficient in size to hold the soldiers who wanted to get inside.